Structural member



April 1953 w. R. MILLIE 2,633,945

" STRUCTURAL MEMBER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 19", 1949 f) J INVENTOR. M /l/am FF. Mill/er A TTORNEY W. R. MILLIER STRUCTURAL MEMBER April 7, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. .19, 1949 0. Fig. 3

uvvzmozz. William R. Mil Her ATTORNEY STRUCTURAL MEMBER 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 19, 1949 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 7, 1953 STRUCTURAL MEMBER William R. Millier, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, assignor to .Crcsswcll Roll Forming Company Limited, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, a corporation of Quebec Application January 19, 1949, Serial No. 71,615

This invention relates to structural framework such as for houses, and more in particular it relates to prefabricated structural elements serving as vertical structural members or posts or studs that go into the assembly of such framework and to which there can be attached outer as well as inner wall-coverings to constitute hollow walls of a house, Insulating material may be placed in the hollow space between the inner and outer coverings.

It is among the objects to devise a vertical structural member or post which is hollow, light, and strong, having a roll-shaped profileof relatively thin gauge sheet metal, and which post lends itself to have fastened thereon at any selected point of its height wall-covering or sheeting or metal clapboard elements, in a manner whereby their attachment or fastening can be performed directly and rapidly.

According to one aspect although in no limiting sense, itis one of the objects to devise such a post that is highly adaptable and versatile with regard to the possibility of its structural combination with other elements of a prefabricated frame structure, and which can be rapidly and economically joined therewith. Hence, it is a 7 more specific object to devise such a post that lends itself to the rapid and simple application thereto; as by snap-fastening, of an outer wall-covering composed of roll-shaped horizontally running metal clapboards which have edgewise interlocking relationship with one another and which are assembled in downward succession upon the supporting frame structure of which the post according tothis invention may be made a basic element.

The profile of such metal clapboard is internal- 1y tensioned by resilient deflection when being fastened t the backing structure or supporting framework, the profile being such that the upper edge portion of such a clapboard interlocks with or engages in a recess or inverted groove formed by the lower end portion of a superjacent clapboard. That wall of this inverted groovewhich adjoins the wall structure constitutes or terminates in a downwardly extending vertical flange or edge portion having perforations for fastem irig the lower'edge portion of the clapboard to the framework as by nailing. In assembling such clapboards upon the supporting structure the upper edge of a next following or next lower clapboard 'is inserted into the groove presented by the unit already emplaced, whereupon it too ,may:

have its lower edge portion or terminal flange fastened to the supporting structure, and so on.

1 Claim. (o1.1s9-s4) Another object is to provide a light and yet strong and concussion-resistant wall structure. Such a structure is provided by the vertical struc tural element or post of this invention which lends itself to have such metal clapboards rapidly and firmly applied thereto by means of snap fastening.

These objects are attained by providing a com posite metal profile of the general appearance of an I-shape in which a webor body portion forms a solid although composite or double median wall portion, and hollow end portions from which latter extend flange portions representing the transverse portions or flanges of the I-shape. As a part of these transverse portions a pair of converging shanks extend into each hollow and by their convergence towards each other inwardly these shanks form a vortex or V-shape providing a mere crack-like opening at the bottom of the V-shape where the converging shanks adjoin each other. A snap-fastening element for holding the clapboards or the like can be forced into this crack at any selected point along the length or height of the post in a non-retractable 'or one-way fashion since the converging shanks have sufficient resilient yieldability to be slightly forced apart or spread by such penetration.

More specifically these objects are realized by a compositeor total profile of roll-shaped elements which comprises a pair of identical component profiles firmly connected in a symmetrical or complementary fashion along a longitudinal plane of juncture which coincides with the longitudinal axis of the profile of the I-shape.

According to one feature such a component profile, that. is one-half of the total profile of the post, is formed by roll-shaping from a longitudinal metal strip. Such a strip is roll-formed to constitute a webor body portion having a longitudinal plane medial portion which substantially coincides with the longitudinal median plane of the post which in turn coincides with what is termed as the longitudinal axis of theI-shaped profile. The web portion of the component profile has outwardly offset end portions extending substantially parallel to the medial portion. From the end of each said web portion extends outwardly and at right angles a flange which has is formed by a face to face connection of the pro-'- 1 truding medial web portions of the component profiles. Therefore, respective pairs of said web portions thus associated constitute a hollow portion at each end of the I-shape. By the same token, that is by interconnection of the component profiles in this manner, pairs of inclined shanks or terminal portions of the component profiles become; associated in a manner whereby the shanks of each pair converge towards each other and inwardly in constituting a V-shape or vortex within each respective end hollow of the I shaped profile. Hence the vortex of they-shape.

forms a narrow slot or potential slot-like opening where the free terminal edges of, a; pair of con-.- verging shanks adjoin each other; A. snap-fastening member for holding the wall-covering can be forced in between the converging shanks t any selected point along the length or height of the post in a non-retractable or one-way fashion, as the shanks allow themselves to be slightly forced apart by such penetration. With the composite. profile; according to this invention this means of snap-fastening; is applicable for both. the outer as well as the inner; wall-covering of theWaIl-structure.

Other features reside in the manner: of and means for combining therpostor'composite=profile with the outside and the inside portions orcoverings of the wall structure: as by means of snap-fasteners or barbed nails. Some features lies in the provision of a; vertical; ledge member of special roll-formed profile; for attaching innerwall'panels to the posts.

Inthadrawings:

Fig. l. is; a. perspective view of. a; wall; portion. viewed; from the; outside embodying the post; or; profile of this invention.

Fig: 2* is a perspective viewof: wall portion: similar' to that of Fig: 1' although viewed. from. the inside and illustrating certain fastening. means :for the-inside wall-covering.

Fig. 3 isa partial or top' view Offth wall portion of- Fig: 2: takenwonv line 31-3; thereof; illustrailing ner wall covering;

Fig. '304- isan enlarged detail: view 'of the: pro.- file of a ledge member.- for attaching: inner wall panelsto the-posts;

ZF'ig;v 3b=illustratest the manner of inserting the head portion of barbednail orsnaprfastenerinto the:ledgememberfromsoneend'thereof'.

Fig: 4 is; a perspective view of: the structural memberor post per se.

Fig; 5 is thecross-section or total? profile ofthe post illustrating the uses oftsnapfastening=mem bersratfeach endiofthat'profile.

Fig. 5wisan enlarged partial detail view-of'a fastening" nail: for: attaching elements to: the post's;

li'ig. 5b is a cross-section of the nail taken on line5b5b of-Fig. 521. v r

Fig; 6' shows the component portions or come ponent profil'esapartfromeach other. i

Fig: 7" shows the component profiles of Fig, 6. joinedtogetherto constitute the. totalor. com-- positeprofila.

The drawings show the structural. member orpost of. the. invention as.embodiedinawallstruw ture. (seev Figs. 1 and 2) and. they also showthe postitself detached from. the. structure (see Figs-.- 3 to 7) so. that. the shape. and formationof its composite or. total profile aswell. as the profiles of its component. portions,- present themselves clearly.

Referring to Figs. etc- 7 there will-firstv berenmore clearly means'for fastening 'the in.-

component profile P2- site or totalfI-shaped profile P of the post.

'4 dered a description and analysis of the structural member or post itself.

The post as whole or its composite or total profile is designated as P consisting of a pair of substantially identical component portions or profiles P1 and P2 joined with one another and disposedsymmetrically withzrespect to'each other. That is, the component profiles or portions P1 and P2 are fastened back-to-back to each other in some suitable manner, such as spot-welding. The component portions P1 and P2 join each other in a plane which is the longitudinal medial plane oft'he. post P, in which plane also lies the longitudinal medial axis of the composite profile P which has the overall appearance of an I-shape.

The overall appearance of the total or composite'profile P is that of an I-shape inasmuch as it has a bodyor web portion l0 and transverse endportions or flange portions H and I 2. The body portion in in turn comprises hollow end portions 32. and i4; and: by the sametoken it has an intermediate constricted: portion I5 forming with. thehollow end portions a pair of dovetailshaped recesses it and i l.

The hollow endportion- I3 is defined by apair of. wall portions. 13 and i3 which are parallel to each other as well as parallel to the intermediate web portion: I5 and it is further defined by: its depth all and its width 101-. hollow portion tions Id and width wz.

The transverse or flange portion H ofthe Similarly, the It is defined by parallel wall por- M as well as byits depthdzand l shape" or composite profile comprises a pair of component flanges H and l I extending in opposite directions, namely at right angles from the respective outer ends ofthe wall portions l-S and 13- A pair of wing'portions l8 and IS inelfect extend from the inner ends of the component flanges H and H to converge towards each other'and into thehollow of" the hollow end portion I3. Thus thewingportions i8" and 1-9 form a V-shape orvortex Vi with their ends, either touching each otheror else forming between them a narrow gapor crack 2!!- at the bottom of the vortex.

Similarly, the transverse portion l2 of the I-shape or compcsiteprofil'e comprises a pair of component flanges I2 and |=2 extending in op- A posite directions toeach other, namely at right angles from the outer ends of the parallel wall portions I l and W respectively. A pair of wing portions 21 and 22- in effect extend from the respective inner ends of the component flanges. l2

5 and it and converge towards each other and into the hollow of end portion I4. Thus the wing portions 2| and 2-2 form a V-shape or vortex V2, with their inner ends either orforming' a narrow gap 23- at' the" bottom of the vortex.

Referring to Fig; 6 there will now be described in detail the roll-formed component profile Pi which is identical to and joined with the other to constitute thecompo- The component profile or portion PL (see. Fig. 6) comprises a body or web portion 24'. and at each end thereof and extending atright angles therefrom a flange, namely the previously mentioned flanges H and I2 The body portion 24 has a pair of symmetrically disposed offsets or double bends 25"and 25 whereby the body portion is subdivided to form a straight intermediate portion 21' and parallel thereto and spaced a distance: d1 therefrom? straight end portions 243' and" touching each other portions .or vortices V1 and V2 thereof.

29co-planar with each other. The offset constitutes an S-shaped or double bend comprising the single bends 25 and 25 The offset 26 constitutes an S-shaped or double bend comprising the single bends 26 and 26 The flange has double wall thickness, the additional wall thickness being represented by a bent-back portion 33 which in turn terminates in the previously mentioned wing portion H) with which it merges by way of bend 3|, the wing portion 5 being inclined against the flange under an angle a, and forming with the end portion 28 a complementary angle b. The wing portion IS in turn is formed with a small terminal bend or lip 32 presenting a slight convexity towards the body portion 24; The wing portion l3 defines one half of the previously mentioned vortex or V-shape V1 and its terminal point is defined by the distance (is indicating the depth of the V-shape, and by the distance (13 which may be substantially equal to or slightly smaller than the distance d1 in view of the provision of the crack 20 (see Fig. 7).

The flange |2 like flange H is of double wall thickness having a bent-over portion 3| terminating in and merging with previously mentioned wing portion 2|, otherwise similar and symmetrical to the flange M and its wing portion l8.

Similarly, the companion component profile P2 comprises a bodyor web-portion 33 having at each end thereof and extending at right angles therefrom a flange, namely the previously mentioned component flanges and I2 The body portion 33 has a pair of syncmetrically disposed offsets or double bends 34 and 35 whereby the web portion 33 is subdivided to form a straight intermediate portion 36 and parallel thereto and spaced a distance d1 therefrom straightend portions 31 and 38 which latter areco-planar with each other. The offset 34 constitutes an S-shaped or double bend comprising the single bends 34 and 34 The offset 35 constitutes an S-shaped or double bend comprising the single bends 35 and 35 The flange N of component profile P2 has a bent-over portion 39 terminating in the previously mentioned wing portion l9 and is otherwise similar to and symmetrical with the flange H of component profile P1.

Similarly the flange l2 of component profile P has a bent-over portion 40 terminating in the previously mentioned wing portion 22 and is otherwise similar to and symmetrical with the flange l2 of component profile P1.

The component profiles P1 and P2 are shown to be solidly interconnected back-to-back as exemplified by spot-welds A1, A2, and A3 (see Fig. 4), although other connecting means, for example rivets, may be used.

ment is effected by means of a special fastening element or what will herein be called a barbed nail 4| details of which are shown in Figsv5 and 5 Such a barbed nail 4| can be driven into the post at any point along the length of the post and into either one of the hollow end The barbednail 4| has a, flat head '42 and a stem 43 which latter has a barbed end portion 44.

The barbed portion-44 of the nail in longitudinal 5.

section see Fig. 5%) represents a. saw tooth e shaped profile, each tooth representing what may be termed an annular barb 45. Indeed, such an annular barb 45 (see Fig. 5 is defined by an annular base area 46 facing the head portion of the nail and extending in a plane transversely thereof, and by a'trunco-conical face Therefore, in order to fasten a wall element E1 or E2 to a post or profile P (see Fig. 5), a barbed nail 4| may be driven through a nail hole of the wall element and into the respective hollow end portion or through the respective vortex of the profile as far as it will go.

else the head of the nail may be severed from I the stem.

The perspective view of Fig. 1 presents an example of how the structural members or posts can be structurally combined with other wall portions 'to constitute a wall. This is a view upon the outside portion of the wall structure. In this example a pair of identical posts P and P4, each embodying the composite profile P1 as above described, are shown as part of a wall structure which further comprises an outer wall portion or wall-covering W1 in the form of known roll-formed wall elements which in their outer appearance simulate the familiar clapboards, and an inner wall portion or covering W2 which may be in the nature of straight panels of some suitable material, both the outer and the inner wall portions being fastened to the posts P3 and P4 in a manner subsequently to be described.

'A clapboard of the outer Wall covering is designated as 48 and is shown to have a profile which comprises a substantially vertical body portion 49 even though of shallow inward curvature so as to outwardly present a, shallow concavity whereby it is tensioned against the posts. At its lower end the clapboard is formed with an end portion 50 of general S-shaped configuration merging with the body portion 48. The S-shape of the lower end portion 50 may be said to comprise a first and wider U-shaped bend 5| and merging with this first bend a second although narrower bend 52 of inverted U- shape "terminating in a vertical skirt portion 53 which extends downwardly beyond the first bend 5|. The terminal skirt portion 53 has horizontal elongated perforations 54 serving as nail holes for the fastening nails indicated by the numeral 4| since they are identical to those described above in Fig. 5, for fastening the lower edge portion of the clapboards to theposts P3 and P4. The inverted'narrow groove 52 serves to receive and to hold the top edge portion of a next lower clapboard '55 (only fractionally shown) and which in turn may have its lower end portion fastened in a similar mannerto posts P3 and P4 as by barbed nails exemplified at 4|. The clapboard 43 in turn has its top edge portion 48 held by a next higher clapboard indicated at 56 inasmuchas the top edge of clap board 43'is inserted into the bottom groove 56*? of clapboard 56. That is to say clapboards thus ex 7 f emplaced and fastened; andthen in turn fasten.-

ing the bottom edge portion of the clapboard:

being emplaced so. that its lower edge. groove can in turn serve for the reception of the; top;

edge of a. next following clapboard to be similarly emplaced and. fastened: as by barbed nails exemplified at M.

The inner wall portion or wall-covering We is shown: to be in the nature of panelling, that is: of. individual panels or plates fastened to the The manner-of and means'forits fastening are moreposts-P3 and P4 at theinner flange thereof.

specifically shown in Fig. 2 which presents: a

perspective view of the inside portion of the wall.

structure shown in Fig. 1, although presenting merely a single post P5 and its associated wall. portions, the post P5 in its profile otherwisebeing similar to or identical: with the posts P3 and P4 which in: turn have the profile of post P described further above.

The inner wallportion or covering W2 is shown tocomprise individual plates or panels dimencloned to lit the center-to-center distance between a pair of posts. 'A pair of such panels adjoining one another and. fractionally-shown are designated: by numerals 57' and 58; The vertical odge portions 59 and (it; of the respective plates are inserted intoand held by vertical grooves 5 I and fitrespectively'of a vertical roll-formedspecial ledge member 63 which in turn is held tothe post 135 by" means ofbarbed nails 41 which in: fact are similar to or identical with the barbed nail 4! above described.

The cross-sectional profile of the vertical ledge member 531 (see Fig. 3 ccmprisesaplain intermediate outward facing body portion fit merging with a pair of U-shaped end portions 65' and 66 which have their open ends directed; away from each other. The U-shapes 65 and- 66. merge with the body portion 64' byway of bends 6.1- and 68: respectively, so there results a profile of the ledge member providing a shallow hollow space 65 from which leads a passage the width of which is. defined by' the distance cliprovided between the bottoms H and: 72: respectivelyof the two U-shaped end portions 65 and E6; The outer shanks 1'3 and Hi respectively of'the u-shapes 65 and 66 present a pair of flanges which extend in opposite directions although in substantially the identical plane, and these flanges are adapted to be set against the outer flange portions of the post P5 and to. be thus heldbysuch barbed nails as the one shown at M in Fig. 3.

thereof in themanner shown in Fig; 3 and, since sufiicient' frictional contact may beprovided between the inserted head portions of the nails and the ledge member surrounding them, the ledge member'may be handled and emplaced while thememben 'ngot shown in Fig. 3..but similar to the;

In preparation. for the use of the ledge member when emplacing: the inner-walli panels, the required number of barbed nails 4.1 maybe slid into the ledge member from: one end ledge member 63, isthen-appliedto the opposite vertical. edge. of. the panel being emplaced, and:

with any suitableinsulating material as indicatedat M in Fig. 1-.

This specification is a continuation-in-part of my application, Serial No. 674,817, filed June 6, 1946, now abandoned.

I claim:

A. structural vertical stud member comprising a pair of similarlyformed and interconnected rollformed component profiles, each profile having a web portion comprising an intermediate portion andend portions on eachside of the intermediate portionintegral therewith and. connected thereto by an seshaped section, the end portions being co-planar with each other and parallel with the intermediate portion but ofiset therefrom by the S-shaped section, the intermediate portion with the S-shaped section forming a dovetail shape in cross-section, an outwardly directed flange member integral with and extending at right angles'to each end portion, a portion ofthe flange member being bent backwardly over itself and overlying the same in parallel relationship, and anintegral extension of the bent-over portion extending inwardly toward the intermediate portion and at an acute angle to each end portion, the extension extending inwardly a distance substantially equal to the extent of the S-shaped extension, the free end of each extension being formed with a curved lip presenting a slight convexity toward each S-shaped section, the rear face of the intermediate portion of each profile being interconnected to make the stud member with the: end of each extension and lip being within a space provided by the offset of the adjacent end portions from the intermediate portions by the S-shaped sections, the extensions forming an inwardly tapering cavity within the space with the lips being closely adjacent each other defining a narrow slot, whereby when the stud member is emplaced in a building structure the cavity is facing the inner and outer walls thereof and the cavity is adapted to securely hold a barbed fastening element within the slot to retain the facing of the building upon the outer wall and the wall facing upon the inner wall.

WILLIAM R. MILLIER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Heim.. 1 Nov. 23, 

